Midlife Crisis – or just a New Beginning
Midlife is when we start to think about what’s next for me , you wonder is this it, start to feel there must be more than this? You might feel you are having a mid-life crisis. if you are having these thoughts and feelings, that something is not right, you are probably in transition, nothing to worry about, all perfectly normal. Or if you are feeling stuck, or bored with a new-found reality, having a conversation with someone that knows how you are feeling, could help you find the right path or direction for this new time in your life.
Mary, a participant on one of our T.R.U.E. programmes was in transition, she feels she is on a journey. She is in the process of leaving her role which she has been in for the past 30 years. She is upskilling and retraining to become a garden designer, linking her passion for gardening and her current skills in design.
Transition is when we start to shift our thoughts and feelings about something. Transition is the process whereby something new is happening for us, there is change ahead. Transition takes time and there are a number of stages to go through before a new reality emerges.
All through our lives we have had transitions, when we left home for the first time, we were a bit uncomfortable for a while, we were out of our comfort zone, until we got used to our new reality. If you changed jobs, roles, it took some time to feel comfortable and in control of what you were doing, all perfectly normal. Another big transition in our lives is when we leave the work force following a long career through redundancy or retirement. In newstage we don’t talk about retiring, (you retire to bed to sleep!), we talk about re-wiring, resetting, recalibrating, these are all about movement and being alive, open to consider new possibilities, opportunities.
William Bridges has written a lot about transition, while change can happen very quickly, transition usually is a longer slower process. In his book Managing Transition, he introduces a model for transition, which highlights three stages that we go through - The first one is the Ending, second, the Neutral Zone and the third and final stage is the New Beginning.
As we go through each of these stages a lot of different emotions are evident, it’s like an emotional roller-coaster, there are high and lows. Some of the emotions we may feel are denial this is not happening to me, frustration or confusion, or you may be feeling very relieved and excited and curious for the possibilities that lay ahead for you.
The important part of transition is to keep moving along the curve, not to get stuck.
Participants who have attended our TRUE programme have benefitted hugely from the support and conversation they have shared with other participants. It normalises the feelings of isolation or frustration they may have been experiencing. There is lots of support and encouragement to explore possibilities. Some may have been dormant for several years or come to the fore through the process of the programme for you.
Take the time to explore yourself again through a new lens for your new stage.
If you would like to know more visit our website www.newstage.ie or contact us hello@newstage.ie
If you know someone who would benefit from our T.R.U.E. programme please share
Ann Byrne, Mid-life Transition Coach with newstage. If you would like to contact me directly email ann@newstage.ie.
Bridges, W. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change . Da Capo Press.
Comments
Transition was where I was . It was a lonely anxious filled time for me,
I was unhappy with my lot and stuck in a rut of my own making. I didn't think opportunities were available to 'Mid-Lifers' until I did the T.R.U.E. programme with Newstage.
Transition is where I am. It Is a great time in my life; with the skills I have learned, through this course I am now equipped to move forward. I have been able to identify an area of great interest to me that I want to become involved in. I started a Horticultural course and got myself a 'Saturday' job to test the water, so to speak, and have cut my hours in my 'Day Job'.
I am a 'Mid-Life-Teen' but with experience and knowledge moving forward, free to travel a new route to a new destination and move again if I so wish.
Mary-en-route to be a Garden Designer.
Thanks to newstage .